MY memory is my history book. The Tory grandees who are regularly consulted on Brexit have form. Lord Lamont – responsible for Black Wednesday in September 1992. Howard – would never take responsibility for problems in the prisons. Duncan-Smith – enemy of the poor who when leader of the Tories couldn’t run a whelks stall. And we are expected to blindly follow them into the unknown, except that it is known because Tory government forecasts have warned us?

And cast your mind back to the financial crisis of 2008. The banks did not ask savers if it would be alright for them to use our money to gamble for personal gain, they just did it, and only when they were found out and it was already too late did we know about it. And we all remember the effect that has had over the period ever since – or do we? Then there came that question "do you trust your bank?" And the question of trust comes up often these days.

READ MORE: Scottish and Welsh FMs demand more time to scrutinise 'damaging' Brexit deal

At the time I was quoted in the press when I said that you do not need to trust your bank, but you need to know what they are up to. And that is exactly why opposition MPs must take time and properly scrutinise Johnson’s deal. It does not matter if he is trustworthy, and I leave that to your own judgment; act in haste and repent at leisure. What I find extremely hard to understand is how the good people of north-east England, whose communities and industries were decimated in Thatcher’s time, can trust and believe that their salvation will be brought about by faith in the Tories. They know better.

Thank goodness for our SNP MPs and what a great laugh I had on Saturday when Mr Blackford was speaking about Scotland having been ignored and Michael Gove sprang to his feet with an angry fish face to interject but was not called. Whit a parcel o’ rogues.
Robert Johnston
Airdrie


I SYMPATHISE with one of your readers in yesterday’s National in picking out Ian Murray MP (Labour) as a man of integrity, adding would that he was in favour of Scottish independence

Although a member of the SNP, I value listening to any debate between intelligent, articulate men and women able to present their views in a spirit of service to the common weal, and nothing would be more pleasing than to have confidence in a parliament – north or south of the Border – that reflects our differences respectfully. 

READ MORE: Labour’s Ian Murray could be putting his skills to better use

We need a new vision for the British Isles and I think that all of us have spotted the politicians who could, and would, contribute in a form of co-operation. 
Needless to say that, eventually, the ideologies would make it impossible to not diverge into their various schools of thought. But hopefully by that time we would have entered into a new age of democracy. 

To quote from Ecclesiastes: “There is a season for everything...”  By the end of this present chaotic period of intrigue, lies and power games, perhaps we shall witness the “time for uprooting what has been planted”. I hope to see the day!
Janet Cunningham
Stirling

SWINSON is wrong (Jo Swinson claims independence much more difficult than Brexit, October 21). 

It will be difficult for England to extricate itself from Scotland/Ireland. 
It is the English who want significant change, removing themselves from the compliance and conformity presently in place with the UK in the EU. Any divergence will be slow.

READ MORE: Jo Swinson claims independence much more difficult than Brexit

As regards the “hard border", Scotland is one of England’s most important trading partners. They cannot afford to hermetically seal the border. 
As regards freedom of movement any future settlement will address cross-border movement. Goods aside, the free movement of people is relatively easy to maintain. BECAUSE we are an island, checks can be carried out at airports etc as they are now. Remember British immigration checks are present at Calais – why not English immigration officials at Edinburgh, Glasgow or Aberdeen airports?

In short, Swinson and her Unionist “Liberals" are exaggerating the issue of a hard border. Yes, there will be adjustment, but this will be overcome. 

The bottom line is that Swinson cannot offer any positives for Scotland remaining in the UK ... and when we DO leave the EU her party will return to irrelevance.

Simon Taylor
via thenational.scot

IT’S wonderful news that the Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is open to the idea of a Scottish-Irish bridge project (Varadkar open to Scottish-Irish bridge project, October 21). I was intrigued that Professor Alan Dunlop is mooting a combined road and rail crossing. How would that work? The track gauge in Britain is 1,435mm (4 feet 8 and a half inches) while the track gauge in Ireland is 1,600mm (5 feet 3 inches). A problem, perhaps, to address early on in the project!

Dr Hamish Maclaren
Stirling